


Perfect Strangers

by elrosa



Category: Endless Summer (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 11:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16304510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrosa/pseuds/elrosa
Summary: During a drinking game, Taylor realizes her crush on Jake might not be as welcome as she thought.





	Perfect Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> The scene is set during Raj's peace party (between chapters 7 and 8). I wished they showed us more of it, but this is where headcanon hops in ;)

_It was the end. Taylor could only feel the cold darkness, a strange, invisible force dragging her down to the depths. With one last effort, she grabbed Jake’s hand and pressed her body to his, the only warmth against the cold ocean. They kissed for the first and last time, passionately, tenderly, faces close, two hearts beating as one…_

“Earth to Taylor!”

She blinked and the cold ocean around her was gone in an instant. She was sitting at the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the warm water and staring at a lone figure lounging in a hammock. Diego waved his hand before her face and laughed.

“Got eyes for our handsome pilot, I see?”

“I don’t!” Her cheeks flushed.

“Uh-huh. You should have seen your face. You were totally drooling,” Diego snickered.

“Come on, he’s not  _that_  handsome.” Taylor splashed some water on her face to stop the burning. Even the tips of her ears tingled. She could deny it all she wanted, but Diego was right—she did have a crush on Jake. It didn’t help that every time their eyes met, she had these visions of them being together. And they felt realistic, almost too realistic, like they were not visions, but… memories.

It must be the island messing with her head. She had all kinds of strange daydreams, but couldn’t remember anything from before she got there—every time she wanted to recall something, her head filled with static noise. She tried to push past it, but all she got was a nasty headache and nosebleed and not even a sign of her real memories.

“You’re staring at him. Again.” Diego nudged her side.

“Guys, you up for a game?” Raj waved at them with a big smile, and Diego grabbed her hand, nodding enthusiastically.

“Do we really have to do this again?” Taylor whined. Last time they attempted to play a drinking game, she ended up having to stop Jake and Sean from ripping each other’s throats out. Raj made them call a truce tonight, but how long would it last? The tension between these two was spiraling out of control, and she had enough on her plate without their bickering. Hotel staff and guests were missing, someone burnt their plane, there was a fucking sabertooth on the loose—a week in paradise, indeed.

Diego ignored her completely. As long as there were drinks, he was in.

“What are we playing?”

“Never Have I Ever!”

Taylor suppressed an eye roll. Great. Perfect game for someone who can’t even remember what classes she’s taking. Wait… how come she remembered the rules, then? She almost jumped with joy. Maybe her memories weren’t so lost after all.

The group was pretty toasted already. Someone pushed a drink into Taylor’s hand as she squeezed into the circle between Quinn and Grace. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Jake hovering nearby with a half-empty bottle of whiskey in hand.

“Your turn, Taylor!” Grace tapped her arm.

“Okay,” she sighed. “Never have I ever… been arrested?”

To everyone’s surprise, Grace took a big swig of her drink.

“What are you staring at? We all have our secrets!” She giggled, trying to hide her embarrassment. Someone whistled. Kind, sweet-tempered, nerdy Grace had been arrested? For what, having too good grades? Now that was a story Taylor wanted to hear, but Grace lowered her head, hiding her face behind the thick curls. Guess she would never know.

Taylor turned to Quinn, and the redhead responded with the biggest smile the world has ever seen.

“Never have I ever slept with a man!”

She looked at Taylor with anticipation, her eyes full of hope. Crap. That was beyond awkward, but at least her suspicions were confirmed: she wasn’t the only one with a crush. Taylor sighed, shaking her head. Quinn was beautiful, sweet and kind, but there was no point in giving her false hope. Not when her heart already belonged somewhere else.

She looked around and noticed another pair of blue eyes staring at her. Jake raised the bottle in a salute, mouthed “guilty!” and chugged it down as if it was water.

The whole world slowed down. Taylor could swear her heart shattered into million pieces. She tried to take a deep breath, but she felt like she was drowning in the cold ocean again.

How could she be so wrong? How could she not see it earlier? She laughed at the irony. Heartbroken heartbreaker. It was just her luck to fall for someone completely unavailable.

Her hands were shaking, and she downed her drink trying to cover it. She didn’t even hear Craig’s question, but judging by the collective gasp, she just admitted to something really awful. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She shrugged, excused herself, ran to her room and fell flat on the bed, burying her face in the pillows.

How could she be so stupid? How could she fall so hard for someone she met a few days ago? And why did it hurt so much?

Diego knocked softly on the door and entered without waiting for her response. He plopped on the bed next to her and patted her back. “I’m sorry. If it makes you any better, I didn’t see it coming, either.”

“It’s nothing,” she muttered in response. “I’m fine.”

“So, do you think I should give him a shot?” He laughed and evaded the pillow she threw at him. “Guess not.”

“I’m not in the mood. Leave me alone, Diego. Please.”

“Okay,” he sighed. “You know where to find me.”

Taylor curled up, closed her eyes and hugged the pillow really tight, trying to calm herself. It was nothing. She would get over it. They won’t even see each other once they leave.  _If_ they ever leave this damn island.

The door opened again, and she gritted her teeth. “I told you to leave me alone!”

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t, Princess.”

Jake. The last person she wanted to see right now.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” she mumbled into the pillow.

“Tell me you really want me to go, and I’ll go.”

Taylor sat on the bed and looked in his eyes. He was taunting, daring her to throw him out. What was his problem? Her cheeks burned red when she realized how obvious her crush was. He wasn’t interested in her. Or any woman, for that matter. The longing looks? Her imagination. The flirty banter? Probably just him being friendly. Did he come to laugh at her for being so stupid? She wasn’t in the mood for any more games. She jumped from her bed and opened the door.

“Get out.”

Jake seemed to listen. He stood up and moved slowly, finally standing close to her. Dangerously close. He didn’t speak, just stared at her. To her dismay, Taylor felt she was trembling. “Go. Just go,” she pleaded silently, but he leaned closer with a smug smile on his face.

God, how she loved that smile. And the way he looked at her right now made her want to tear off her clothes. Not that it would get her somewhere if she did.

The touch of his lips was the last thing she expected. She staggered and slammed her back into the wall, nearly knocking all air from her lungs. Her eyes closed and all she could feel was him. His touch, his warmth, his heartbeat.

Before she realized what she was doing, she buried her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer. So this was their first and probably last kiss. At least they weren’t drowning. She imagined it hundreds of times, but she never thought it would be that hungry and desperate. Her heart was going wild, but she couldn’t stop, as if her life depended on that one kiss.

She couldn’t tell if it lasted a few seconds, a few hours or an eternity. Her lips felt bruised. Her head was spinning. The whole world was spinning—she wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the kiss.

Talk about mixed signals! One minute he practically admitted to being gay, and the next he was in her room, making out with her as if nothing happened. It didn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t have kissed her like that if he wasn’t interested. Hell, he wouldn’t have kissed her at all.

“Liar,” she whispered.

“Liar? Oh. It wasn’t a lie. I never lie.” Jake ran his thumb over her lower lip with a sly grin. “But sometimes I only tell half of the truth.”

Taylor stared at him in confusion.

“Goodnight, Princess.” He brushed her cheek with his fingers and ran them through her hair. She closed her eyes and lifted her head, expecting another kiss, but he left without as much as looking at her.

Her knees buckled, and she slumped to the floor. Half truth. What could he possibly mean?

Oh, God. Taylor started to laugh like a maniac as the meaning of his words finally sank in. He played her, made her think she didn’t have a chance only to see how badly she fell for him.

“Jake, you damn bastard!”


End file.
